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Milkweed was always a staple in the garden of Susan Nedza Lastres and husband Oswaldo. Like many gardeners, the couple knew the importance of providing a crucial food supply for monarch butterflies and wanted to do something to help the monarchs flourish. It wasn't until the couple met world-renowned National Geographic photographer Chris Rainier that they realized their efforts might not be enough to protect the species. "Many gardeners in Hinsdale have actively planted...
How did you start your nonprofit? Eighth-graders Saira Joshi and Madison Marshiano were elementary school students when they decided to do something good for their community. Today, the hands that build Small Hands Big Impact aren't so small anymore, and the impact of the nonprofit founded by these two friends keeps on growing. "Two besties doing our part to make a positive change in the world!" is how Saira, a Hinsdale Middle School student, and Madison, who attends Latin...
Break out those long johns and parkas and prepare to enjoy Hinsdale's traditional kickoff to the holiday season this Friday, Dec. 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. Presented by the Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce and Bella Cosa Jewelers, the 58th annual Hinsdale Christmas Walk will take place in the heart of the village and feature wintery wonders and treats for all, said Amanda Wagner, marketing director for the chamber. The evening will begin with the three lighting ceremony on the lawn of...
What is a swing actor? At any moment during the run of "Cinderella" at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Kevin Kuska may be called upon to step into the role of chef or king - or summoned to spread a special message from the prince. "I will step into any of those three roles with as little as maybe an hour's notice," said Kuska, a swing actor in the current production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella", playing now through Dec. 29. Should an actor playing any of the...
Hinsdale Central senior Leila Zou has always enjoyed painting and drawing. So when Hinsdale Central orchestra director Serge Penksik asked for volunteers to create a mural on the walls of the school's orchestra room, Zou quickly volunteered to take on the task. Any musician knows that practice is essential. That proved to be the case in the creation of the mural, as well. "This mural was the second attempt. The first was not very good," said Zou, who initially tried to...
Why is aluminum a better choice for bottled water? When Hinsdale resident Toral Gandhi gets ready for work each day or packs her bags for her next business trip, she's doing it for much more than a paycheck. "I wanted to do something that had a positive impact on the world," Gandhi said. After earning a business degree from the University of Michigan, Gandhi worked in the financial services industry for several years before meeting Nicole Doucet and Jeff Page, co-founders of...
Hinsdale Central High School senior Sophie DiPasquale isn't a member of the Red Devil Service Club, the flag football team or the Civics Club. But that didn't stop her from being part of this year's seventh annual Day of Service presented by the Red Devil Service Club on Oct. 26. "I volunteer a lot," said DiPasquale, one of hundreds of students and community members who participated in the Day of Service. While other participants were part of Central organizations...
What does a police chaplain do? The stress, anxiety and trauma of a tragic event often extends far beyond the people who are injured in an accident, own a property impacted by fire or are the victim of a crime. Pastor Meredith Onion said witnesses and first responders also can be negatively impacted by a traumatic situation. Her job as volunteer emergency chaplain for the Hinsdale Police Department is to be available to all of them. "I meet people where they are," said Onion,...
Summer break can be a time to relax, to travel or even to catch up on things that didn't get done the semester before. Or, it can be a time to immerse yourself in something completely new. In summer 2024, Hinsdale Central High School senior Kaan Turkyilmaz chose the latter. Inspired by his mother's stories of the research she performed during her medical residency, Turkyilmaz set out to find a laboratory in which to spend his summer. "I basically cold emailed them,"...
As the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, Samrah Syed said she thought she knew quite a bit about her family's culture. As president of the South Asian Student Union at Hinsdale Central High School, she is learning just how much more there is to know. Like many members of SASU, Syed recently participated in the club's First Days Project, which aims to collect stories of immigrants' first few days in the United States. Syed interviewed her father, who traveled to the United...
While balancing motherhood with a strenuous job as a scientist, Dominique Stepinski was looking for an activity that would provide her with an escape from the pressures and responsibilities of work and family. When a friend suggested a Zumba class, Stepinski never dreamed it would have such a profound impact on her life. Stepinski, who had no background in dance or music before taking that first class, said it wasn't long before she knew she had found what she was looking...
Diana Ivas wasn't looking for an escape when she left her teaching career after 17 years. "I loved teaching," Diana said. But not long after dipping her toe into the real estate business in 1988, she discovered she loved that world even more. Now decades into her real estate career, Diana said those years in the classroom still impact her ability to do her job. "To be a teacher, you have to be very organized," said Diana, who also listed good listening skills and the ability...
Twenty-eight years after moving to Hinsdale and well over a decade after sewing her first stitches, Jeanie Gale finally became a member of the Hinsdale Embroiderers' Guild. "It never crossed my mind to join," said Gale, who learned needlepoint 15 years ago. It was during a trip to a needle arts store that Gale heard a group of women talking about the Hinsdale group that she considered joining herself. The Hinsdale Embroiderers' Guild is a 60-year-old organization that...
What does it mean to be a Candidate School? The early childhood professionals at Union Church’s preschool have had their eye on the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme since today’s 30-somethings were students at the school. On Aug. 30, the school announced it had been named one of four stand-alone preschools in the country to earn the title of Candidate School — the final step before full designation as an International Baccalaureate school. “We’ve been on a...
Since becoming a pastor nearly a quarter of a century ago, Bill Kasper has led churches all over the country. He worked in New Mexico, Texas, Alaska and Washington before accepting his current position at the Hinsdale Seventh-day Adventist Church late last year. “It’s good to be back,” Kasper said of his return to the Midwest, where he grew up and later attended seminary school before embarking on his career. Church ministry wasn’t Kasper’s first choice of careers. “I tried...
What do you hope to accomplish your senior year? Meiyan Zhu has one goal for her senior year of high school, and that's to make it the best one it can be. "I'm making sure high school doesn't pass me by," Zhu said. She's made a conscious decision to spend her final year of high school trying new things and stepping back just a bit from her rigorous academic schedule to make time for fun. Just days into the new school year, Zhu already has added a line to her resume as a...
Shelbi Domjen doesn't have to think long about what or who influenced her to enter the field of education. The daughter of an elementary school teacher, Domjen said she spent many hours in the classroom with her mother while her father worked long hours on their family's farm. "My entire childhood was a classroom with my mom," said Domjen, who now has a classroom of her own as a fifth-grade teacher at Monroe School. Domjen said that other than the family's agricultural...
What will help kids as school year begins? The lazy days of summer have turned into the busy days of another new school year. Shabana Sheikh, program director of The Community House’s Counseling Center, said a little planning can go a long way toward getting the new year off to a good start. “There’s a lot of exciting stuff that kids look forward to,” said Sheikh, a licensed clinical professional counselor who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in c...
By Sandy Illian Bosch [email protected] Isabella Walls-Rodriguez returned home from the Paris Olympics with lifelong memories, a renewed enthusiasm for soccer and a voice hoarse from cheering. Walls-Rodriguez and her family spend time with relatives in France every summer, so taking the train to Paris from their home near Bordeaux was an obvious choice for the family of sports fans. After taking in a quarterfinals soccer match near Bordeaux, Walls-Rodriguez and her...
Not many guitarists can say they played their first show with Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters. Eighteen-year-old Lauren Hunter of Hinsdale can. "That day completely changed my life," said Hunter, who started playing guitar in 2020, just a year before her parents surprised her with tickets to see her favorite band. Having seen videos of Grohl inviting fans on stage to play with the band, Hunter carried a sign asking for the honor. "It went crazy viral," Hunter said of the resul...
Families are invited to explore the woods, sit by the creek, and learn about history during Fullersburg Days at Fullersburg Woods in Oak Brook this weekend. Indoor and outdoor activities are planned from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 10 and 11, at the Graue Mill and Museum, the Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center and throughout the Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve on Spring Road. "We're trying to celebrate Fullersburg Woods and the history of Fullersburg...
For Coldwell Banker agent Cathie Callen, real estate is about problem solving. "It's like a puzzle," Callen said, the pieces of which are different for every person she helps to buy or sell a home. An agent since 2006, Callen said she enjoys helping buyers find a home that meets their physical needs, their emotional wants and their financial means. A mother of three, Callen was raising her children and working as a teacher when she decided to pursue a new career. "I decided...
There are few Hinsdale traditions as delicious as the annual ice cream social in Burlington Park, and few people more excited about this year's 70th annual event than Harlan Apple. Apple is president of the UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale Junior Board, the youth-driven organization charged with bringing the Sunday afternoon event to the community each year. He, along with other members of the 100-plus-member board, will run games and activities, greet guests and see th...
When BAMtheatre's Conservatory Ensemble was asked to introduce Disney's "Alice in Wonderland Jr." at the Junior Theater Festival in California earlier this year, the honor paid off for the entire BAM community. After being chosen as one of five ensembles to participate in the festival's New Works Showcase, the local theater education program earned the privilege of debuting the show as its Broadway Kids Summer Edition Production. "That gave us the first little glimpse of what...
Hinsdale's Citizen Police Academy isn't about teaching people to be police officers. The free 11-week program is designed to give residents and citizens who work in the village a better understanding of law enforcement and the Hinsdale Police Department. Officer Karen Kowal will facilitate the village's annual Citizen Police Academy for the third time when this year's series begins at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4. Open to people 18 and older who live or work in Hinsdale, the a...
